Talking about fantasy scenarios, maybe to hire two pay drivers (I think that Senna and Razia brings huge loads of money) and kick out Di Resta to save the situation in extremis? (if it is as critical as some reports suggests)Would be a disgrace for Paul.

Talking about fantasy scenarios, maybe to hire two pay drivers (I think that Senna and Razia brings huge loads of money) and kick out Di Resta to save the situation in extremis? (if it is as critical as some reports suggests)Would be a disgrace for Paul.

But if the team is in trouble & if it may not make it on the grid, then how come they are launching their car on 1st Feb?

Talking about fantasy scenarios, maybe to hire two pay drivers (I think that Senna and Razia brings huge loads of money) and kick out Di Resta to save the situation in extremis? (if it is as critical as some reports suggests)Would be a disgrace for Paul.

But if the team is in trouble & if it may not make it on the grid, then how come they are launching their car on 1st Feb?

Because questions would have been raised much more if they had announce no launch date whatsoever.

Somehow I can't see Mallya being in F1 much longer, either Force India will be sold after Bernie pays for a one year reprieve or they'll fold completely. Personally I wouldn't be sad to see him go. Other than that podium in 2009 and Hulk's heroics in Brazil last year they haven't made the impression they promised to.

According to rumours FI are in severe financial problems and their future in F1 is at stake. According to the source Bernie has a plan to save the team which potentially involves having Briatore as team manager.

According to rumours FI are in severe financial problems and their future in F1 is at stake. According to the source Bernie has a plan to save the team which potentially involves having Briatore as team manager.

According to rumours FI are in severe financial problems and their future in F1 is at stake. According to the source Bernie has a plan to save the team which potentially involves having Briatore as team manager.

Surely Briatore must be banned for life from running a F1 team?

I was under the impression it was a 5 year ban or something?

He should be banned though, just for the picture of the tho... nah I'm not gonna say it. Just for Crashgate

_________________"You are the universe expressing itself as a Human for a little while..."

According to rumours FI are in severe financial problems and their future in F1 is at stake. According to the source Bernie has a plan to save the team which potentially involves having Briatore as team manager.

Surely Briatore must be banned for life from running a F1 team?

I was under the impression it was a 5 year ban or something?

He should be banned though, just for the picture of the tho... nah I'm not gonna say it. Just for Crashgate

Talking about fantasy scenarios, maybe to hire two pay drivers (I think that Senna and Razia brings huge loads of money) and kick out Di Resta to save the situation in extremis? (if it is as critical as some reports suggests)Would be a disgrace for Paul.

But if the team is in trouble & if it may not make it on the grid, then how come they are launching their car on 1st Feb?

Because questions would have been raised much more if they had announce no launch date whatsoever.

Somehow I can't see Mallya being in F1 much longer, either Force India will be sold after Bernie pays for a one year reprieve or they'll fold completely. Personally I wouldn't be sad to see him go. Other than that podium in 2009 and Hulk's heroics in Brazil last year they haven't made the impression they promised to.

How would You explain these if Force India won't be on the 2013 grid & are in trouble?

Doesn't mean they aren't in trouble financially. If Mallya is in as big trouble as being reported then so are the team. They need to sign new partners to keep themselves going, if they didn't then talk would be louder about their demise. As a business you keep going until the administrators say no more. He'll try and sell first.

Doesn't mean they aren't in trouble financially. If Mallya is in as big trouble as being reported then so are the team. They need to sign new partners to keep themselves going, if they didn't then talk would be louder about their demise. As a business you keep going until the administrators say no more. He'll try and sell first.

A tweet quite recent from Force India has stated that they are busy on their new car, as their launch date is exactly 2 weeks ahead.

Yeah, no money problems in Force India at all... Last time old team (that means not including Caterham/Lotus, Marussia/Virgin and HRT) announced their drivers that late was Renault in 2010, when they were changing ownership and in financial troubles. Even then Petrov was confirmed the day R30 was launched, so Force India will top that.

According to rumours FI are in severe financial problems and their future in F1 is at stake. According to the source Bernie has a plan to save the team which potentially involves having Briatore as team manager.

Surely Briatore must be banned for life from running a F1 team?

Sadly not it would appear.

He went to court in Paris and had the life time ban overturned didn't he?

Yeah, no money problems in Force India at all... Last time old team (that means not including Caterham/Lotus, Marussia/Virgin and HRT) announced their drivers that late was Renault in 2010, when they were changing ownership and in financial troubles. Even then Petrov was confirmed the day R30 was launched, so Force India will top that.

Here is an immediate article stating that Deputy Team Principal Bob Ferney is claiming Force India aren't in any financial woes:-

According to rumours FI are in severe financial problems and their future in F1 is at stake. According to the source Bernie has a plan to save the team which potentially involves having Briatore as team manager.

Surely Briatore must be banned for life from running a F1 team?

Sadly not it would appear.

He went to court in Paris and had the life time ban overturned didn't he?

Yeah, no money problems in Force India at all... Last time old team (that means not including Caterham/Lotus, Marussia/Virgin and HRT) announced their drivers that late was Renault in 2010, when they were changing ownership and in financial troubles. Even then Petrov was confirmed the day R30 was launched, so Force India will top that.

Here is an immediate article stating that Deputy Team Principal Bob Ferney is claiming Force India aren't in any financial woes:-

He is saying they may announce just before the testing! Is this going to be a record of announcing a driver so late in the recent times? And he said "Probably before the 1st test"!

He even claimed that they won't evaluate drivers during the test to finalize on a driver. Which means they have a driver or 2 to chose between.

in fairness its nothing to do with bob its board level and the board wont announce this type of news to workers until some sort of situation is resolved, it does seem too strange not announcing a driver yet seeming to be in no rush when the owner has his own financial problems doesn't bode well there were rumors of drivers and crew not getting paid for periods last season this was also true of his airline. That doesn't sound like a company on good financial footing.

Something is amiss. The fact they came out so quickly to shoot down the rumours suggests someone is worried. Mallya has been in dire financial shape for a while now and it was only a matter of time before the F1 team got a blow from it.

Time for Mallya to leave IMO, let someone buy the team and go before he drags down innocent workers with him.

The only team it makes sense to be is Force India. Di Resta could find himself in big trouble yet, Senna has loads of money and we could even see someone like Narain slip in by the back door with his cash yet.

Does anyone really care about di Resta though? Ugh the way he's been talking lately has made me despise him so much

I really was not bothered about di resta one way or another until lately but like many am just fed up of him bleating about everyone else he should be focused on his own driving and his slump in form since Singapore.

The only team it makes sense to be is Force India. Di Resta could find himself in big trouble yet, Senna has loads of money and we could even see someone like Narain slip in by the back door with his cash yet.

Does anyone really care about di Resta though? Ugh the way he's been talking lately has made me despise him so much

Since Force India haven't officially announced Di Rest being with the team(even though he has a contract for 2013) & may not finalize a driver before or on the day of the launch, wonder who will unveil the wraps over the VJM06?

Last year, Hulk & Di Resta removed the wraps (typically for all teams, drivers unveil the wraps), so will this year Bob Fernley unveil the wraps or the car will be launched without any wraps at all?

Yep, let's not forget that FI officially has NO confirmed drivers on the 2013 F1 entry list, so di Resta's place is in no way guaranteed. He still might have to make way for a couple of pay drivers if FI's financial situation is still poor.

Still, if he's dumped he can always go off and take over de la Rosa's role at McLaren.

Doesn't mean they aren't in trouble financially. If Mallya is in as big trouble as being reported then so are the team. They need to sign new partners to keep themselves going, if they didn't then talk would be louder about their demise. As a business you keep going until the administrators say no more. He'll try and sell first.

Kingfisher airline is in big trouble. But Mallya is far from being in any serious trouble. His personal wealth is still huge. And UB group did very well last year.

As I said in that other thread about SFI, Force India has been kept an independent entity from start. It has nothing but advertising ties with Kingfisher and Kingfisher brand is not limited to aviation. And with all the $#!t Kingfisher airlines is going through the only -ve impact it has had on Mallya personally is reduction in his wealth due to reduction in price of Kingfisher shares. Usually one would think it will destroy the man, but these people are not idiots and have kept various businesses separate.

Sure Mallya is there, and he may very well be looking for new team principal for this season as he might not be able to travel with F1 gala this year trying to sort out KFA mess. But FI has been receiving healthy prize money from FOM for a while now. The 3 share holders are financially still well off. And they have had recent cash injection and long term technical partnership and supply deals signed this year. And if people are only trying to tie Kingfisher airline trouble to force India trouble, they also need to look at UB group.

I still dont know what will happen with FI, but whatever being made out of the kingfisher thing affecting Force India seems exaggerated if not overblown.If KFA trouble is all they have to make a story on FI, I am not taking them seriously until it comes from official sources.

The only team it makes sense to be is Force India. Di Resta could find himself in big trouble yet, Senna has loads of money and we could even see someone like Narain slip in by the back door with his cash yet.

Does anyone really care about di Resta though? Ugh the way he's been talking lately has made me despise him so much

Since Force India haven't officially announced Di Rest being with the team(even though he has a contract for 2013) & may not finalize a driver before or on the day of the launch, wonder who will unveil the wraps over the VJM06?

Last year, Hulk & Di Resta removed the wraps (typically for all teams, drivers unveil the wraps), so will this year Bob Fernley unveil the wraps or the car will be launched without any wraps at all?

Lot of questions rotating around Force India!

Very strange. I just hope they survive this, it'd be terrible to see another team leave and so many people out of jobs.

Such a joke of a team, Mallya is clearly in deep trouble why else would they take so long to announce? Once had high hopes for them but now they just seem in trouble, Nico was right to jump ship

_________________Support: Kimi, Lewis, Jenson, THE HULK and Super Kevin Magnussen Respect: Eyebrow man, Schumi and finally after three long years Sebastian Vettel. Fairplay to the guy he is quick!Still don't like: Di Resta and his neck glassing team mate

Why does it matter how long it takes to announce? Not as if there is some FIA reg to say it has to be done before testing.

As long as they have a driver for Melbourne it doesn't matter when they announce. For all we know they have a deal done and are keeping scthum to keep the press ticking over. A big Press stunt. Maybe there will be a big unveil and Schui will step out. We simply don't know. 2 or more drivers are maybe having a bidding war. They are letting it run it's course to get the best deal. If youwere the team boss and 2 or more drivers were fighting each other bringing better deals each week, would you let it run or sign one just to announce it?

They are under no obligation to tell Paul either and because they haven't doesn't necessarily mean problems.

Why does it matter how long it takes to announce? Not as if there is some FIA reg to say it has to be done before testing.

As long as they have a driver for Melbourne it doesn't matter when they announce. For all we know they have a deal done and are keeping scthum to keep the press ticking over. A big Press stunt. Maybe there will be a big unveil and Schui will step out. We simply don't know. 2 or more drivers are maybe having a bidding war. They are letting it run it's course to get the best deal. If youwere the team boss and 2 or more drivers were fighting each other bringing better deals each week, would you let it run or sign one just to announce it?

They are under no obligation to tell Paul either and because they haven't doesn't necessarily mean problems.

To be fair though Johnston, it's the off-season and what else does everyone have to obsess and speculate over?

I mean Hamilton hasn't even set foot in the car yet Enjoy the non-threads for now, we'll all be crying for the off-season threads again by 10am UK time on Sunday 17th March I'm sure

it's Bild but they are writing as if it is pretty sure that Sutil will join FI again... but you can never trust Bild lemme translate anyway:

Force India: Is Di Resta suddenly a doubtful case?

While the return of Adrian Sutil to Force India is as good as certain, Paul Di Resta could loose his cockpit at a change of the team owner.

Force India is next to Caterham the only team, that still has to give away a cockpit for 2013, because so far only Paul di Resta is confirmed. For weeks now Adrian Sutil has been a hot candidate for the second seat. But after informations of 'Motorsport-Total.com' di Resta also shouldn't be 100% certain about his case.

Those responsible are maybe waiting with the announcement, because of the possible change in ownership, even if the Team is energically denying being sold to investors lead by Colin Kolles, and persons around Vijay Mallya don't think that the indian businessman will quit.Besides of that all affected people believably assure, that the economic crisis of some Mallya-businesses has no effects on the financial stability of the Formula 1 team.

The driver pairing will be announced "Hopefully and probably before the first test.", says the vice team boss Robert Fernley towards 'Motorsport-Total.com'. It would be "very improbable", that no candidate would be evaluated at the test drives in february, but it would be a lot more "probable", that the name will be announced beforehand. The presentation on February 1st in Silverstone "will be only about presenting the VJM06", Fernley makes clear.

That di Resta will be still wearing a Force India Overall then is after informations of 'Motorsport-Total.com' in no way cut in stone. Sutil has signed his Grand Prix contract for 2013 just as the Briton, but brings, just like it has been in the past sponsor money. If it really would come to a change of ownership, Investors want to hire next to Sutil a financial lucrative paydriver and because di Resta is not bringing any considerable sponsor money, he could be kicked out despite contract.

((thats my translation tried to be as close to the text as possible and hope I didnt make too many mistakes))

Edit: here is the motorsport-total.com original text that Bild used Link

Last edited by Sin on Sun Jan 20, 2013 1:56 pm, edited 3 times in total.